Device for guarding tellers and other custodians



April '21, I925? 1,534,732

v w. PALMER DEVICE FOR GUARDING TELLERS AND OTHER CUSTODIANS Filed Feb. 12, 1923 l5 l5 ll g 4| 39 38 I I94 2 44 2e m 33 I0 I 25 BY yxwtza ATTORNEY i 4 in a public place. a capture.

Patented Apr. 21, 1925,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM Z EENRY PALMFiR, 0F MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

DEVICE FOR GUARDING TELLERS OTHER CUSTODIANS Application filed Februaryl2, 1923. Serial No. 618,732.

To all whom it May, concern: Figure 4 is a plan view showing the op 50 Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY erating mechanism.

lPALMEi}, a subject of the King of Great -Like numerals of reference indicate correliritain, and residing at 2044 Mance Street, sponding parts in the various figures.

in the city of Montreal,-in the Province of Referring to the drawings, the guard Quebec, in the Dominion of Canada, have plate l prcferably of steel is formed with 66 invented a new and useful Improvement in a lug 2 at each of its 11 per corners, which a Device for Guarding Tellers and Other carry case hardened firing pins 3 securely Custodians, of which the following is the soldered to said lugs that may be curled l0 specification. around the shanks of the pins, the heads The invention relates to a device for guardof which project above the lugs. ing tellers and other custodians, as described The posts 4 and 5 of tubular form have in the present specification and shown in the vertical slots 6 and 7 in which the plate the accompanying drawings that form part 1 slides upwardly and downwardly, the lugs of the same. 2 being completely inside the posts to bring The invention consists essentially ofthe the heads of the firing pins 3 concentric with as novel features pointed out broadly and spethe posts presuming that they are of circifically in the claims for novelty following cular shape in cross section though they may a description containing an explanation in be of any suitable shape.

detail of an acceptable form of the inven- The posts 4 and 5 are mounted in the tion, sockets 8 and 9 at their lower ends and these The objects of the invention are to save sockets are secured to the raised platform the lives of employees and the propert of 10 or to the floor as may be found more the owners from the depredations of rob rs, convenient.

* artieularly in banking institutions where The guns 11 are screwed in to the sleeves daylight hold-ups are not by any meansan 12, 1o1ned by a cross rod at the upper ends uncommon occurrence; to facilitate the opof the posts 4: and 5, which sleeves are ineration of such devices by the custodian of ternally threaded for that purpose and these the valuables; to enable a teller in a bank guns are formed with lower split ends 13 30 to obey the mandate of the would be robfrom the threaded body portion 14 and the her without interfering with his means of tapering upper open ends 15 forming a vent operation; to eliminate losses by banks of for the explosive gases. considerable sums of money frequently The blank cartridges 16 are inserted in passed over the counter on the order of a the split ends 13 and as. the firing pins 3 35 gunman; to furnish a simple mechanism of strike them on the rapid upward movement few parts and not liable to get out of order; of the plate 1, the explosions occur, which and generally to provide safety and assurthus act as an alarm for others present to ancefor those in charge of money or other mount guard and besides create suflicient' valuable articles, which are ordinarily kept consternation to materially assist in making In the drawings, Figure 1 is a rear eleva- The plate l is bound on the upper end tion of the invention showing a portion of with a brass strip forming at the upper side a bank counter and the tellers compartment the horizontal flat surface 17 to close a slot and wicket. and brought into the plate- 1 on both sides 45 Figure 2 is a sectional detail showing a and riveted under saidlflat top 17. Y

fragmentary view of the counter and guard The lower end of the plate is bound with plate and adjacent parts. the brass or copper strip 18 securely riveted Figure 3 is a detail showing the latch thereto, and to this binding stri 18 the mechanism, a spring catch 19 is securely fastened though it may be secured directly to the plate 1. However, in order to have all surfaces smoothly covered it is better to have the binding strips of some material, which is suitable for the purpose.

The helical-cushion springs 20 are introduced into the posts 4 and 5 and are between the upper blocks 21 and lower blocks 22, which are circular in cross section or made to suit the shape of the posts.

The lower blocks 22 are stopped b blind nuts 23 and the upper blocks 21' eely slide in said posts and carry the plate 1 therewith, when said plate is released as explained hereinafter.

The latch bracket 24 is securely fastened to the platform 10 and is formed with a base 25, a vertical back guide plate 26 curved rearwardl at the upper end and the parallel vertical p ates 27 and 28 at each side of the latch pawl 29, which is pivotally supported in the angle pieces 30 and 31 rigid with the bracket 24 and is formed with the tooth 32 engaging the spring catch 19 in the lowermost posit-ion of the plate 1, being held to that engagement by the spring 33.

The handles 34 are secured to the binding strip 18 and project downwardly therefrom in order that the plate 1 may be drawn downwardly against the upward push of the springs 20 which are compressed in the lower ends of the columns 4 and 5 in order that the plate may be instantly shot to its upper position and supported in that position by said springs, which are even then slightly compresse The pins 35 hanging by the chains 36 from the posts 4 and 5 are inserted in the holes 37 in said posts just above the lugs 2 in the lower position of the plate 1 to lock the plate 1 to its lower positlon afterbusiness hours.

The winch 38 is here shown as mounted on the platform 10 and rigidly secured thereto, though it in be mounted at any convenient place and be operativelyconnected with the plate 1, but in the present form the cable 39 is wound on the drum 40 and connected to the plate 1 by the hook 41 at the free end of the cable and by means of the crank handle 42 the plate 1 is drawn down and held by the pawl 43 and ratchet 44 of the winch, said pawl 43 being released by the foot lever 45 as customary in winch construction. The staple 46 in the post 4 for the hook 41 is situated to one side to keep the hook out of the way during the period that the guard plate is in active position.

The counter 47 of a banking or other institution is slotted at 48 just'within the wicket 49 at the front of the ca e 50 and the posts 4 and 5 project through t e counter 47 behind the usual posts of the cage construction so that the teller or cashier is well the r covered or there may be more than two posts and several guard plates if desired, but as .a general rule one will be quite suflicient to frustrate the intentions of the robber.

In the operation of this device, the plate 1 is set in its lower position and latched as described and ordinaril the business may be transacted as usual or there is nothin in sight and the slot in the counter is closec l up by the brass binding strip and this may continue from day to day and year to year, yet all that time the teller or cashier is insured by this guard plate from injury, for robbers are likely to avoid a lace so guarded in order to save themselves, but in the event of a venturesome robber seeking money, where this guard is installed, the very second he points his revolver and demands money, the teller puts up his hands in surrender and at the same time touches the foot pedal of the latch pawl and the plate flies up in the face of the robber, and if his gun is pointing inwardly it is knocked up in the air out of harms way, in any event the teller is shielded and a general alarm sounded by the blank cartridges, so that all are on the alert and the robbers egress barred, for even the desperado as he must he, cannot help but be alarmed at the noise and con fusion which he has caused, and as the bank oflicers are quite familiar with the apparatus, they know exactly what to do, in fact they can be readily drilled to meet such occasions with calmness and intelligence, thereby making it impossible for robbers to carry out these daylight robberies in urban, suburban or outlying places.

The guard plate herein described is shown as sliding up from below, as the most suitable form of the invention for general ap plication, but conditions surrounding itsinstallation may make other movements and construction desirable and electrical as well as mechanical operating means may be found very useful.

What I claim is 1. A tellers guard including a pair of spaced tubular guides having opposite slots, a shield movable vertically and having its side portion slidable in the guides, springs housed in the guides and located below the shield for urging the same upwardly, hammers also slidable in the guide and mounted upon and carried by the shield, gun barrels mounted on the upper ends of the guides and forming stops for the shield and adapted to receive blank cartridges to be exploded by the said hammers and means for setting and tripping the shield.

2. A tellers guard including spaced tubular guides, interiorly threaded sleeves fitted on the upper ends of the guides, a cross rod connecting the sleeves, gun barrels movable throughout in the sleeves and extending into the upper ends of the guides and adapted in the gun barrels, the latter forming stops to receive blank cartridges, a shield slidable for limiting the upward movement of the in the guides, springs housed in the guides shield and means for setting and tripping 10 and located below the shield for urging the the shields. 5 same upwardly, hammers also slidable in Si ed at Montreal, Canada, this 25th the guides and mounted upon and carried day of January, 1923.

by the shield for exploding the.cartridges WILLIAM HENRY PALMER. 

